Zacchaeus

Proper 26, Year C; Luke 19:1-10

The Story of Zacchaeus

The story of Zacchaeus gathers together everything Jesus has been teaching about the Kingdom of God—what it means to be childlike, what seems impossible for the rich, and how faith that seeks always finds. In this single encounter, Luke gives us a living picture of the Gospel and, through it, a mirror of Jericho itself: what once fell before Joshua now falls again before Jesus.

Childlike Faith and Impossible Grace

Just before this scene, Jesus said that unless we receive the Kingdom like a child, we cannot enter it (Luke 18:17). He also said that it is impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom—unless God makes it possible (Luke 18:25–27). Then comes Zacchaeus: a wealthy man, a chief tax collector, small in stature. But the word Luke uses for “small” (mikros tē hēlikia) means more than physical height—it speaks of immaturity, of being young or unformed. Zacchaeus is not merely short; he is small of soul, a child in spiritual stature. Yet it is precisely this “littleness” that opens the Kingdom.

Like a child, Zacchaeus runs ahead of the crowd and climbs a tree to see Jesus. His actions are undignified for a man of wealth and status, yet perfectly fitting for one whose heart is awakening to grace. He seeks to see Jesus—not merely to look at Him, but to perceive Him, to discern if what he has heard is true. And when Jesus reaches that spot, He looks up and sees him.

A Man and a Tree

There is a man in a tree—and Luke means for us to notice it. Jesus, on His way through Jericho toward Jerusalem, looks up and calls Zacchaeus down. Soon, Jesus Himself will become the man lifted up on a tree, bearing the sin of the world. Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see Jesus; Jesus will climb the cross to save Zacchaeus. The one who sought to see will soon be seen by the One who saves.

“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down,” Jesus says, “for I must stay at your house today.” It is a call both tender and commanding—the call of salvation. Zacchaeus’s willingness to run, climb, and come down reveals the very faith Jesus has been teaching: childlike, humble, unrestrained. And Jesus, the greater Joshua, will soon do the greater act—ascending the cross to make the impossible possible.

Jericho and the Greater Joshua

Luke tells us this all happens in Jericho—the same city where Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land. There, the walls fell by faith, and Israel entered the inheritance of God’s promise. Here again, the impossible happens: the fortified walls of a sinner’s heart collapse at the sound of the Savior’s voice. Zacchaeus, a man once counted an enemy of God, becomes a son of Abraham. The first Joshua conquered Jericho with trumpets and obedience; the greater Joshua conquers hearts with mercy and grace.

Just as the walls of Jericho fell down at the call of God, so Zacchaeus comes down from the tree at the call of Jesus. The impossible has happened again: salvation has come home, and heaven rejoices.

Faith that Seeks.

Through Zacchaeus we see what salvation looks like. Jesus seeks the lost, and the lost seek Jesus. The crowd may grumble, but heaven rejoices. Zacchaeus’s repentance and restitution show what happens when grace truly enters a house: he gives away his wealth, restores what he has taken, and finds something far greater—fellowship with Christ.

Zacchaeus becomes the living parable of the Kingdom. He is the lost sheep found, the sinner justified, the child welcomed, the rich man made poor in spirit and rich in grace. What was impossible for man has become possible with God.

Come Down

So may we, like Zacchaeus, become childlike enough to climb and humble enough to come down. Let the walls of pride and sin that keep us from Jesus fall flat before His mercy. For the same Lord who brought down Jericho’s walls now calls each of us by name, saying, “Come down, for I must stay at your house today.” The greater Joshua still does the impossible—He saves those who were enemies of God and makes them sons and daughters of His Kingdom.

May the walls of our pride fall, may our childlike faith cause us to run to Christ, and may salvation and entrance into His Kingdom be ours.

Peace be with you,

Pastor Bruce